Negative-plate for photographic printing and process of making same.



PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

W. J. LITTLE. NEGATIVE PLATE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING AND PROCESS OFMAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1904.

\k/ENTEIR. fXLQza 1 UNITED STATES Patented January 17, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

NEGATIVE-PLATE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,206, dated January1'7, 1905.

Application filed March 19, 1904. Serial No. 199,034.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JAY LITTLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Newton, inthe county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inNegative-Plates for Photographic Printing and Processes of Making theSame, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a negative-plate for photographic printing andthe process of making the same, meaning a process by which a preparedplate may be obtained from which the image of cut or incised linesproduced by etching may be printed or reproduced by the action of lightupon some photographic or sensitized surface, and this, moreover, by thelines showing with varying degrees of light and shadow corresponding inrelative degree of similitude or tone with the light or shadow of thesubject from which the etching is taken.

The plate can best be seen and the process for making it betterunderstood by reference to the drawings.

Referring, therefore, to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the plate in plan.Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, andFig. 3 shows in plan a variation thereof to which special reference willhereinafter be made.

The process consists, first, in the treatment of a plate A, coated withsome etching surface or ground A. I prefer a plate like that describedin my copending divisional application, entitled Prepared plates formaking graphic negatives, filed October 17, 1904., Serial No. 228,720,which plate, as there described, is transparent or at least translucentand has an etching surface or ground likewise transparent ortranslucent. The etching-plate is placed directly over or in front ofthe subject from which the etching is taken. By looking through theplate and its etching surface or ground the subject B maybe outlined bycuts or incisions made in the etching surface or ground. Into theseincisions, or some of them, are then rubbed various actinic ornonactinic substances or colors, after which the smooth outer surface ofthe etching-ground is wiped off, leaving the colors filled in the etchedlines or incisions.

It is well known in the art that some colors are more actinic thanothers. The more actinic colors are more potent to let light throughthem to act upon photographic or sensitized surfaces. I therefore infilling the etched lines or incisions make use of colors varying inactinism in obtaining lighter or darker line effects in the followingmanner: If a negative is first to be obtained from the prepared plate,then a non-actinic color is rubbed into the etched lines correspondingwith the darkest shades of the subject, and colors more actinic arerubbed into those lines corresponding with the lighter shades. Thecolors used depend, of course, upon the degree of shade desired to beobtaine l. WVith a plate thus prepared a negative is taken in the usualmanner simply by inverting the plate and placing it in contact with asensitized plate or film and then exposing both to the light. The effectis that the light strikes through the prepared plate and itscolor-filled lines and being affected by the colors depending upon theirdegree of actinism acts upon the sensitized plate or film with variouslight and shade effects reversely corresponding with those in thesubject. WVhen a print, however, is taken from the negative, the lineswill show correctly in proper light and shade effects with the subject.The print is taken in the usual manner simply by placing the plate incontact with photographic paper or some sensitized surface and exposingboth to the light.

A positive may be taken directly from the prepared plate, under whichcircumstances, as shown in Fig. 3, the etching surface or ground isfirst made or coated with some very nonactinic substance or color A,which preferably is translucent in order that the etching may be made bylooking through the plate at the subject, as before explained. Theetching having been made, the incisions or lines thereof are then filledwith various colors, those more actinic beingfilled in linescorresponding with the darker shades of the subject and the colors lessactinic being filled into the lines corresponding with the shades thatare lighter, with the effect that when a print is taken by placingtheprepared platein contact with some photographic or sensitized surfaceand subjecting the same to the light then a print will be obtainedcomparing in degree of light and shade with the light and shade effectsof the subject from which the etching is taken, for the nonactiniccoloring covering the main surface of the prepared plate will preventthe rays of light from acting upon the sensitized surface, whereby thesame will be left uncolored comparing with the background of the subjectcopied, While the light will print through the lines filled with theactinic colors darkening the sensitized surface, the shade of the linesdepending upon the actinism of the colors filling the lines.

In so far as the term color has been used in this specification it isused in the sense of powders, pigments, or paints of various colorspossessing different properties of actinism, this being the essentialproperty taken advantage of, for which purpose black is considered acolor as possessing some degree of less or greater actinism. I wouldalso be understood in using the terms actinic or non-actinic as meaningby actinic an instrumentality or substance more potent to let lightthrough it to effect chemical changes and by non-actinic aninstrumentality or substance less potent to let light through it toeffect chemical changes.

By means of my plate I am enabled to make a photographic etching withoutthe use of a camera, the lines showing with delicate shades of light anddarkness producing a most beautiful and artistic effect.

I claim 1. The process of preparing a plate for photographic printingconsisting in outlining upon a plate coated with some etching surface orground a subject by cuts or incisions in the etching surface or groundand then filling these cuts or incisions or some of them with colorshaving different actinic properties de pendent upon the light and shadeeffects desired to be obtained.

2. The process of preparing a plate for photographic printing consistingin placing a transparent or translucent plate coated with sometransparent or translucent etching surface or ground over the subject tobe etched,

outlining the subject looked at through the plate by lines or incisionsmade in the etching surface or ground and then filling these lines orincisions or some of them with colors having different actinicproperties.

3. The process of preparing a plate for photographic printing consistingin placing a plate coated with some transparent or translucent butnon-actinic etching surface or ground over the subject to be etched andoutlining the subject by cuts or incisions made in the etching surfaceor ground.

4. The process of preparing a plate for photographic printing consistingin outlining upon a plate coated with a non-actinic etching surface orground a subject by incisions or cuts in the etching surface or groundand then filling these cuts or incisions or some of them with colorshaving different actinic properties dependent upon the light or shadeeifects desired-to be obtained.

5. A prepared plate for photographic printing having an etching surfaceor ground on which a subjeetis outlined by lines or incisions cut intosaid etching surface or ground, and which lines or incisions or some ofthem are filled with colors having different actinic proporties.

6. A prepared plate for photographic printing which has a transparent ortranslucent etching surface or ground, with lines or incisionsrepresenting a subject cut in said etching surface or ground, whichlines or incisions or some of them are filled with colors havingdifferent actinic properties.

7. A prepared plate for photogra 'ihic printing, which plate istransparent or translucent but has a non actinic etching surface orground, with lines or incisions cut in said etching surface or groundcorresponding with some subject, which lines or incisions or some ofthem are filled with colors having different actinic properties.

8. A prepared plate for photographic printing having a non-actinicetching surface or ground, with lines or incisions cut thereincorresponding with a subject, which lines or incisions or a portion ofthem are filled with colors l'iaving different actinic properties.

ILLIAM JAY Ll'l TLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. R. HAYES, J. M. DOLAN.

